‘What a historic day.’ Tarleton State officially joins the Western Athletic Conference
Tarleton State officially became a member of the Western Athletic Conference on Wednesday.
The transition from Division II to Division I is complete after the school accepted an invitation to join the WAC in November 2019.
“What a historic day for Tarleton State University. We are next level ready,” school president Dr. James Hurley said in a statement. “We look forward to raising the institutional profile of Tarleton State University at the NCAA Division I level.”
The Texans had competed in the Lone Star Conference (NCAA Division II) from 1994-2020 and won 36 LSC championships, nine LSC tournament championships and 14 NCAA regional championships across 14 NCAA sports.
Thirteen of the 14 sports will compete in the WAC, including men’s basketball under new coach Billy Gillispie. The football program will compete as an independent at the Football Championship Subdivision (NCAA Division I-AA) level.
The school is expected to add additional sports during the transition, including women’s soccer.
“This is a historic time for Tarleton State University and the beginning of great things ahead,” Lonn Reisman, the school’s vice president of intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement. “We are not a small college any more. We are a major university.”
Other members of the WAC include California Baptist University, Chicago State University, Dixie State University, Grand Canyon University, New Mexico State University, Seattle University, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Utah Valley University. Dixie State also is transitioning from Division II to Division I.
Tarleton made a splash a couple months ago by hiring Gillispie, but the school will have to wait before being eligible for championships such as the NCAA Tournament. The first year in which Tarleton could play in March Madness is the 2024-25 season.
However, Tarleton is eligible to win regular-season titles in all sports sponsored by the WAC.
“Since its acceptance of the invitation to join the WAC, Tarleton State University’s first official day as a conference member has been eagerly anticipated,” WAC commissioner Jeff Hurd said in a statement. “On behalf of the conference it is a great pleasure to welcome Tarleton president James Hurley and the entire University family to the WAC for the start of a mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come.”
